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New Horizons Mission to Pluto


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For those who don't already know, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will reach its closest approach to Pluto in a few minutes time, the last of the nine 'classical' planets to be visited by such a mission. Already, we have seen some fantastic images of Pluto and Charon. Check them out at http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/

I have only seen Pluto a couple of times through large telescopes, once when it was still inside Neptune's orbit in the late 1990s and again a couple of years later when passing outside once again. Although just a small faint dot indistinguishable from background stars requiring a very detailed star map to locate, it was good to be able to complete my observing list of all the planets, the rest being very easy to find and see.

It doesn't feel like 10 years since I put my name down to be included on the CD inside the spacecraft but it was indeed 2005.  I'm pretty sure Madelaine has her name on it too and probably Dillon and Celestial as well. Anyone else? Give it a wave as we fly by!

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My name is travelling there as well. :matte-motes-big-grin:

When, and if, some aliens read the disc in some future day they will be thinking that we are some very important persons on planet Earth because our names were included.

VIP, wow!  :smileyvery-happy:  :smileywink: 

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Nyll Bergbahn wrote:

For those who don't already know, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will reach its closest approach to Pluto in a few minutes time, the last of the nine 'classical' planets to be visited by such a mission. Already, we have seen some fantastic images of Pluto and Charon. Check them out at

I have only seen Pluto a couple of times through large telescopes, once when it was still inside Neptune's orbit in the late 1990s and again a couple of years later when passing outside once again. Although just a small faint dot indistinguishable from background stars requiring a very detailed star map to locate, it was good to be able to complete my observing list of all the planets, the rest being very easy to find and see.

It doesn't feel like 10 years since I put my name down to be included on the CD inside the spacecraft but it was indeed 2005.
  I'm pretty sure Madelaine has her name on it too and probably Dillon and Celestial as well. Anyone else? Give it a wave as we fly by!

Thanks for the thought, but while I'd imagine you're right about Maddy and Celestiall, I am not among the worthies like you and Coby. I always find out about this stuff after the fact, I guess. Looking forward to the images, though, like everyone else.

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Our names went out there too :D

We are utterly fascinated with this sort of thing, and space in general, so we take every opportunity offered to us, to participate. Plus,the kids think it's just awesome to be that cool, haha ;) 

 

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Did you know that you can send the crew for this particular mission a congratulations letter/message? If not, I highly encourage doing so, if you're interested in such things ;)

 My kids have a habit of doing this a lot, so we always get emails when any kind of mission at all is sent out, or completed, so that they can send a letter(electronically, of course).

https://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/send-note-congratulations-new-horizons-mission-team?thanks=1&sid=78742986

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Coby Foden wrote:

When, and if, some aliens read the disc in some future day they will be thinking that we are some very important persons on planet Earth because our names were included.

 

They are more likely to be asking why a bunch of virtual people applied pseudonyms to messages that meant nothing and would probably never be be read.

Just like these forums.

Alec - to waste my time and money on useful things, not pointless ones

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